Despite being a leisurely activity, gaming♔ can be an intense and high-stress experience. It depends on the title in question, but avoiding bullets, jumpsca🍌res, and missteps isn't exactly the most low-maintenance quality they can have. That being said, there are more than a few games that exist to give players a break and allow them to unwind and escape.
The goals are simple, the enemy encounters and story are either optio☂nal or nonexistent, and the player should have more control than normally given. Whether that's taking care of a virtual farm or just exploring an open environment, there are plenty of games where the player can cut loos🌠e.
10 Minecraft
It's no 🐲qꦿuestion that Minecraft is a global phenomenon enjoyed by millions of players across the globe. And while there is a survival mode where the player can fall prey to🅺 creepers, skeletons, and other blocky baddies, most play the game simply to create and explore.
There are hundreds of worlds created by hundreds of users for the player to explore, and it's nice t𝕴o know they also have the ability to create their own and share them with the fanbase.
9 Skyrim
Granted, there will be some combat involved, but how c✱an one play Skyrim with the powers of the Dragonborn and not feel like a god among men? Keep in mind also, tha🌱t the story quests and battles are all optional.
Skyrim is one of those games where the player literally has the freedom to do whatever they want. That's what makes the game so replayable. Sim๊ply put, exploration is the name of the game and this game does it well.
8 🐟 ⛦ The Sims Series
Ever wonder what it's like to control the world? Well, The Sims fits that tall order exactl🌱y. With four entries in the popular PC series, players can build their own community of gibberish-speaking characters and watch t🉐heir lives play out before their eyes.
Players can watch their Sims grow, have kids, get jobs, and even have encounters with alien life 🐬forms. The possibilities are practically endless — and that's not even mentioni𒁏ng all the mods possible in these games.
7 Super Mario Odyssey 𝕴 ൲
Mario has always been a warm and inviting character, and Supe♈r Mario Odyssey is his best adventure in years. So, why wouldn't anyone want to explore and play with these large open worlds? Honestly, one of the game's best feat🌺ures is giving the player multiple kingdoms to explore.
From the vibrant jungles of Fossil Falls to t🐼he concrete jungles of New Donk City, variety truly is the spice of life in this M🐟ario title. Tie it all together with some cartoony antics and it's quite a fun way to unwind.
6 Terraria
Terraria has bee🐼n called the SNES game fans n𝔉ever had. Part side-scroller, part world builder, part RPG, and part ant farm, ღthis game offers some unique ways to build a life wit💫h a 16-bit coat of paint.
There are definitely some Minecraft-inspired elements to this game, but it's still very different from its 3D counterpart. Simultaneously, it gives the player less and more to work with in terms of tools 🏅and abilities. At the very least, it's a unique alternative
5 😼 🔯Harvest Moon Series
Farming simulators in the gaming community are nothing new, but one of the original titles to fit that mold was Nintendo's Harvest Moon franchise. The p🐬remise was simple: choose a character, build a farm, sell your produce at the market, get married, raise livestock, rinse, and repeat.
Whether intended or not, this series laid the groundwork for a number of i⛄ndie titles that were to come. From the cozy, cottagecore aesthetic to the romance options and quests, is it any wonder this ga🦩me is so influential?
4 ℱ Stardew Valley 🥃
Speaking of which — if there's one game that can be considered a perfect successor, it's Stardew Valley to Harvest Moon. offers a similar plot and layout but goes the extra mile by𒆙 throwing in other activities than sharecropping.
Not only can players build a farm, but they can mine for valuable ores, explore an enchanted forest, go fishing, hun🌟t for monsters, and take on quests from other villagers. Needless to say, there's plenty to do.
3 Animal Crossing Series 🐼
Who knew going into debt to a raccoon could be so satisfying? Exploring a cute little community inhabited by friendly animal characters is a great way to decompress from a long da𒉰y, or even just unwind from a more intense video game. What better way t🦄o cleanse the soul after brawling with demons in Doom: Eternal?
There are few who aren't famili🐻ar with the Animal Crossing formula, but there's never been a better time to jump into the cuddly fray, especially with some of its newer additions.
2 Abzu
Its simple approach paired with its gorgeous designs makes it more of an experience than just a game on its own. Abzu is perfect for those who just want to float around and exploreཧ an underwaꦑter wonderland. Half exploration game and h✃alf diving simulator, this game is as mellow as it🎉 is incredibly beautiful.
Players can have their own tr💖opical reef to explore at their leisure, and without the need for a wetsuit. Joking aside, Abzu has an almost meditative quality beneath the bu🌱bbles and virtual sealife.
1 Journey
Regarded as one of the best indie games 🥂o🍨f all time, Journey, like Abzu, is more of an experience than it is a game. There's little in terms of action, but there's definitely a narrative to it at the same time. Simply put, the story unꦬcovers itself on the trip from A to B.
As the Traveler, players will explore ancient ruins, snowy peaks, and barren deserts to uncover what happened to his people. No dialo𝕴gue, no b🎃ig reveal, just a character, a goal, and a journey there.